Coach, athlete Zeke’ Piersma dies

Former Holland High coach and Hope College athlete Donald “Zeke” Jay Piersma, 78, died while playing softball in Grand Rapids, Friday.

Piersma was a five time all-conference athlete in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, three of those in baseball. He was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1999. He coached Holland High School basketball from 1957 until 1975, when he became the school’s athletic director.

Friends describe him as extroverted — on and off the court.

“He was a very outgoing coach; he made you work hard,” longtime friend Dave Kempker said. “That’s the way he played athletics and that’s the way he wanted his kids to play athletics as well.”

Kempker, who coached football at Holland High School for seven years, described Piersma as a unique personality, someone who didn’t swear but who demanded much of his players.

“We went to high school together, went to college together and we got drafted together,” Kempker said. “I stood up at his wedding.”

Throughout that time, the two played sports together, he said.

Piersma believed everyone could and should be involved in sports. He played on a 45-and-older softball team, helped bring the Senior Olympics to Holland in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and helped organize youth sport school.

He also promoted women’s athletics long before Title IX, which required schools to offer women equal opportunity to play sports Kempker said.

Piersma played football, baseball and basketball for the Hope College Flying Dutchmen and in 1953 with 10 athletic letters.

In 1957, Piersma returned to Holland High School to coach basketball, where he had graduated as a three-sport all-conference athlete. He later became the school’s athletic director and retired in 1989.

“He hired me as a basketball coach many years ago when he was athletic director,” Holland High School Athletic Director Mike Clark said. “He was a fine man. He loved Holland High School, loved athletics, loved young people, loved being active.”

Piersma still attended his alma mater’s basketball games, Clark said.

“Whenever you see him he always had his hand out and ‘How you doing?’ and big smile. It was always nice to see Zeke,” he said.

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